Intel formally introduced three more quad-core processors, including the first to carry the Intel Core 2 Quad processor brand name that begins the expansion of quad-core PC sales to mainstream buyers.

Intel now offers a total of nine quad-core processor versions in the desktop and enterprise market segments.

The Intel Core 2 Quad processor packs four brains in every PC and delivers the speed and responsiveness that is increasingly required to process today's most demanding media-intensive applications. This processor is available in PCs and in the reseller channel immediately. Intel also announced two quad-core processors for single-socket servers.

The four cores make quad-core based computers the ideal choice for processor intensive, highly threaded applications such as Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro 2.0, Windows Media Encoder, Snapstream and Win DVD.

In addition to new levels of performance, these products bring consumers multitasking capabilities that enhance the way they create, experience and enjoy digital entertainment. Computers with the Intel Core 2 Quad processor are suited for high-definition video entertainment and are multimedia powerhouses for demanding software applications run simultaneously. With four compute cores, the processor is uniquely designed for running multiple digital streams throughout the home ? making it the ultimate entertainment engine for Intel Viiv technology-based PCs.

New Quad-Core Server Processors

Intel also introduced today the Quad-Core Intel Xeon Processor 3200 series for single-socket servers. Two new processors are available today with clock speeds of 2.4 and 2.13 GHz with a 1066 front side bus and 8 MB of L2 cache.

The new Intel Core 2 Quad processor Q6600 (2.4GHz) has been announced and is currently being demonstrated at CES. It is available now at $851 in 1KU quantities. Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor pricing includes the X3220 (2.4GHz) at $851 and the Quad-Core Intel Xeon Processor X3210 (2.13GHz) at $690.